It came down to the final arrow but Danielle Brown managed to retain her Paralympic compoud archery title – edging British rival Mel Clarke into silver.

Brown and Clarke produced a titanic tussle in a gold medal match which was decided by Clarke’s final shot.

Needing a ten to win or a nine to take into a final arrow shoot-off, Clarke could only manage a seven to hand Brown a 6-4 win and with it the gold.

And while Brown, a qualified law graduate, appeared very composed collecting her medal, she admitted the tension had been starting to get to her in the buildup to the Games.

She said: “It’s been crazy, it really has. I didn’t think the pressure would affect me the way it has.

“Everyone said you are under so much pressure and I thought no, it will be fine. But I’ve been really feeling in the last couple of weeks so to come here and put it together, I’m really chuffed to bits with that.

“I did find myself thinking ‘Please don’t get a ten’ when she lined up the final arrow.”

Two years ago in Delhi Brown was part of the England team that competed in the archery at the Commonwealth Games.

And despite having also been to World Cup events, she insists she will not be switching from the compound to the recurve in an effort to qualify for the Olympics in four years’ time.

She added: “I’m not going to switch, I enjoy my compound way too much. I’d like to shoot more able-bodied.

“My national body have been fantastic and sent me away to World Cups which has given me the experience so that when I am down in a match, I’ve got the experience to shoot strongly and come back.

“I’ll have a bit of time off but I definitely want to go to Rio. I definitely don’t want to go back into law, archery is way more fun than sitting behind a desk.”

Meanwhile, Clarke refused to commit to competing at a third Games in Rio, although the opportunity to upgrade silver to gold could prove too strong a lure to ignore.

She said: “I’ve got a bronze and I’ve got a silver so the only thing left is a gold so never say never for Rio.

“There are four years before then, I’m not saying no and not saying yes but the buzz of the Paralympics is incredible and there is still a gold medal to be won so you might see me out there."